Fodder-shredder.



A. M. DBLLINGER & 0. K. LANDIS.

FODDER SHREDDER.

APPLICATION IILED JAN. 22, 1914.

1,1 1 7,345, Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

a W/r/vzssss //v VE/l/TORQ Maw W1 A TTORNE we THE NORRIS PETERS 50., PHOm-LITHQ, WASHINGTON, D. C.

srnr us ra'unu EFICE- ABRAHAM M. DELLINGER AND OMAR K. LANDIS, 0F. LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

FODDER-SI-IREDDER.

Application filed January 22, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, ABRAHAM M. DEL- Ll'muar. and OMAR K. LANDIS, citizens of the United States, residing at Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fodder-Shredders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in fodder shredders provided with feed-rolls and especially to the driving gear therefor and the means for keeping taut the single endless chain employed while one of the feed rolls driven thereby is raised and lowered in mesh therewith.

To this end the said invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more particularly set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing. Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a fodder shredder embodying our invention; Fig. 2, an enlarged plan view of a part of the same on the side that carries the gearing; Fig. 3, a rear elevation of the latter on a reduced scale; Fig. 4-, a detail view of the take-up or ti ghtener in plan, also in side elevation; and Fig. 5. a detail view of the link connecting the adjustable roller and its platform-weight 18, in front and in side elevation.

In said drawings, 1 designates the hopper or charging chute, through which the fed der is passed to the pair of feeding rolls 2 and 3 provided with external gear Wheels 4 and 5, the lower roll 2 and its gear Wheel 1 being permanent in one position, but the upper roll 3 and its gear wheel 5 being free to rise and fall. These feed rolls are arranged in a casing partly formed by the walls of said hopper and having a convex cover 6. A broader casing 7 having a corresponding convex top 8, similarly protects the toothed shredding cylinder 9 which receives the fodder from said feed rolls and discharges it along a chute 10.

The driving gear-wheel 11 engages a pinion 12 of the cylinder aforesaid and its shaft 13 carries a pinion 14:, which engages and drives an endless chain 15, whereby the other gear or cog-wheels of the machine are driven. This chain passes up over a supporting guide sprocket or idler 16, then down, meshing on its outer side with the cog-wheel 5 aforesaid, then rearward around Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

Serial No. 813,694.

the outer side of cog-wheel and forward wheel sliug fashion by its inner side, and

then back under pinion 12, not engaging therewith, to the point of beginning.

The movable upper roll 3 and cog-whee] are ai'itomatically adjustable up and down in guideways 1, to compensate for the inequalities in feeding, 'as is evident, the tension being the slightest when the minimum al'nount of fodder is being fed and greatest when the maximum amount is being fed, and gradually and steadily decreasing evenly from the maximum to the minimum amount of material handled. To this end a link 17 is loosely connected at its upper end on each side of the machine to the shaft 3 of the roll 3 and at its lower end pivotally connected to the pivoted automatically adjusting weight platform 18, which is pivoted on the rod .23 passing through the inner pair of sup iorting legs 2-1 of the machine and the inner ends of the platform 18, the outer end of which is free to rise and fall in an arc in automatically adjusting the tension of the roller 3, all as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

To keep said chain taut, a curved take-up block or tightener 1.9 is pressed up against the under side of said chain by a weight 20, said weight and tightener being on the outer ends of two arms, extending in opposite directions from a hub mounted on a stud or pivot 21, which may be attached to the frame of the machine in any convenient way, so that said hub and arms constitute a centrally pivoted supporting frame 29 for said weight and tightener or take-up block.

By this construction only one chain is needed. both of its sides being used to drive gear wheels and held automatically to their work, whatever the position of the upper feed roll. The operation of the machine may be caused to cease at any time by suiliciently raising the upper roll; or the interval between the rolls may be adjusted, for the insertion of a bundle of fodder when starting the machine, by slightly raising said upper roll 3.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In combination with an endless gear chain, a pair of feed rolls both of which are actuated by the said chain and one of which is movable, shredding mechanism directly actuated by said chain, means for driving two subscribing Witnesses. said chain, a pivoted frame depending from ABRAHAM M. DELLINGER.

I said movable roll and a tightener carried OMAR K. LANDIS.

by said frame and arranged to bear against Witnesses: the outer face of said chain. WM. H. KREADY,

In testimony whereof, We have signed our MARY M. DELLINGER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. (1.

names to this specification in the presence of 

